Disappearing lawn sprinkler



June 27, 1950 J. J. PFEIFFER DISAPPEARING LAWN SPRINKLER Filed May 28, 1948 1N VE TOR.

JOHN DFE/FFE@ MW /z Patented June 27, 1950 DISAPPEARING'LAWN=-sPR1NKLERf .John-J.,Pfeielf, Montebello, Calif.

' ApplicationMayas, 194s;'serial-Nouesuoz '2h Claims. (Cl. 2991161):

My invention relates' ground level,i but which include portionsa-zpron jectible above the ground:y level-.runder vthe -inuence of`V water pressurepsuch portionsrincluding asprinkler* head1 forl dispensingf'uidc zundernpres`r surefoverl the lawn.

With: the lforegoing `in View;V it: is-f an :objectzof the inventionf'tofprovidezan improved lawnsprinukler vof thev type-described.

A' further object' isfto-provideman -iiriproved lawn sprinkler which includes f a;- :buriedx--casing surroundingk the same With'gthe; ,uppergedge'of fsaid casing substantiallyzflush; withuthe ground.level;v

ai' cover for .the casingaandA fspri-nklerxhinged .nto

said upper f edges; of the f*casinggiandezsaidzfcover being automatically opened. amdzsclosed-:upon: theprojection andf retraction;.'respectively; off-f the sprinklerfproviding y'portion above-:and "below the ground level.

Other objects andadvantages reside in; thefparticular structure Yof the '1c-invention,:combination z and arrangement-i Aof the s severalfrparts; -thereof,

and will be readily understoodgebythosegskilledi' beingr'broken away and parts LAbeing shown'sin sideV elevation;

Figure 2- is a view-similar=to` lili`gure 1, butshowling j the vparts in -the retracted-"ori inoperativeposition;

' Figure -3is a lhorizontalsectional viewff-taken substantially' on vtheplaney offi'fhey liner? f1-Stof Figure'2.

j Referring l specifically to the drawing;-=whe`rein likev reference lcharactershavellsleenused through.. out the several views to designate like parts, I0 designates the ground level of a lawn or like area desired to be watered by the sprinkler according to the invention. A substantially cylindrical casing II is buried in the lawn so that the upper edges thereof are substantially ilush with the ground level I0. The casing II may have a oor I2 formed with drain apertures I3 therein to permit the escape of water accidentally accumulating in the casing II. The oor I2 is axially apertured for the insertion therethrough of the discharge end I4 of any suitable pipe line or conduit for supplying Water under pressure to the to "lawn.l1s-p1inlelers,v randv more particularly to suchtypeiofLla-.wn sprinklers` as are adapted to `be normallyilocated `belowrrtlfie cylinder endfloff'the pipe l 4,1 wherebyrto. lock the casing III in @position :and i to provide a =uid+tightw-connec tion vvitl'ly afhydraulic :cylinder: I6 which extends vertically fofntheneasingaaxiallyfthereof uThe'v upfo the fcylinder 'I B- is1 enclosedeby; afxcylinderv head .'I 'I :which: is axially.. aperture'dgas at lil 8,'

per end for the;slidingnpassagertherethroughiof:.thertubular-piston rod' I9v'ofia 'pistonZIl The uppengsure face of the pistorrzZI'iis;provided::with any suit-- able :gasket "l2 I :whichI ist-erigageable,` with the iuncasing I I to a, great/extent. .'Theipiston'rodfIStis provided with an axially-disposed Ychannel1222 which opens into' the interior of 'the `cylinder I6.

The; upper:I end-'fof 1 thevpiston rod-I I 9 fhas secured thereto: anfadapter23, i the upper'edgesf'of which: are providedwith an outwardly-beveled valvefseat wardly in the adapter y23. 'The lower'end offithe stemfff2i6 is provided `fwith va'vf radially routwardly directed fangeffzl'g the f marginal i edges' fo'fi 'r-whiclfr are f-notched; as at f2l?,l to permit:` the fpassage .off

water 1therethrough. The 'angefZIvengages anl l annular-shoulderor lprotuberancef:formed-interiL orly 1 olf f they adapter 2 3 2to preventv removal o'f .the valve25- and the associated-parts -fromthe :adapte4 any suitable valve means, not Shown, thefiluid' pressure" will fraise'v the piston `v'2U tcgetlierlwi-th the 4piston rod- I9 -from Ithe retracted-1"FigureffZ position, wherein'` the valve y2li iSI-beIOWfthefgrOund leve1`IIJ',-'to-the lFigure 1 -fposition; wherein the Valve 25 is projected above the ground level. Likewise, water under pressure will ow from the cylinder I6 through the channel 22 in the piston rod I9 and through the notches 28 in the Valve stem flange 21. Thereafter, the fluid pressure will raise the valve 25 slightly :above the seat 24, whereby the fluid is dispensed radially outwardly and upwardly in all directions from the valve 25. Thus, the valve 25 and the associated parts just describedk comprise a sprinkler head for the piston rod I9.

The upper edge of the casing II has hingedly connected thereto by any suitable hinge-providing means 3l, a cover 30 which normally lies flush with the ground level I and spans the casing upper edges to close the same. However, the water pressure aforesaid is sufficiently great to raise the cover 30 from the Figure 2 to the Figure 1 position, permitting passage of the sprinkler head to the projected position. Likewise, the cover 30 at some point substantially opposite to the hinges 3l is provided with a counterweight 32 on the under surface thereof which loads the cover 30 for movement to the `closed position of Figure 2.` Likewise, it should be noted that as the piston rod and sprinkler head are raised, the cover 30 is not entirely open, but leans Iagainst the sprinkler head and/or `the piston rod I9 so that it is automatically closv able by gravity upon retraction of the sprinkler head below the ground level l0. This movement is enhanced by the longitudinally curved counterweight 32, ofcourse. However, the cover 30 may be moved to the broken line position, Figure 1, when it is desired to be maintained permanently open for the inspection and/or repair of parts. `The curved inner surface of the counterweight 32 will bear against the outer surface of the adapter 23 and rodl 9 to keep the upper edge of the cover 30 from being caughtunder the lower edge of theadapter for stopping or interfering with the retraction of the sprinkler head While I have shown and described what is now lthought' to be a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the samer is susceptible of otherforms and expressions.

Consequently, I do not limit myself to the precise structure shown and described hereinabove except as hereinafter claimed. v

What is Claimed is:

, 1. In a disappearing lawn sprinkler, a verti- 1 cally disposed casing having its lower end closed and its upper end open positioned below a ground `surface with the open end facing upwardly,.al union positioned within said casing and having one end resting upon the closed lower end of the latter, means on said one end of said union fori securement thereto of an end of a conduit containing a source of water under pressure, a hydraulic cylinder positioned within said casing and having one end fixedly secured to` the other end of said union, a piston positioned in said cylinder and mounted therein for up and down movement, a piston rod loosely extending through the other end of said cylinder and having one end'fixedly secured to said piston, a hollow adapter having one end secured to the other I' end of said piston rod, a valve head positioned exteriorly of the other end of said adaptery and mounted for movement into and out of seating engagement with said other end of said adapter,

a valve stem positioned within said adapter and having one end xedly secured to said valve head, a flange depending from the other end of said valve stem and engageable with a protuberance l formed on the inner wall of said adapter for limiting the movement of said valve head away from seating engagement with said other end of said adapter, and a` cover mounted on the open end of said casing for movement into and out of closing engagement with respect to said open end, said cover being movable out of closing engagement upon execution of the up movement of said piston.

2. rIn "a disappearing lawn sprinklerv a verti cally disposed casing having its lower end closed and its upper end open positioned below a ground surface with the open end facing upwardly, a unionpositioned within said casing and having one end resting upon the closed lower end of the latter, mean-s on said one end of said union for securement thereto of an end of a conduit containing a source of water under pressure, a hydraulic cylinder positioned within said casing teriorly of the other end of said adapter andk mounted for movement into and out of seating engagement with said other end of said adapter,

a valve stem positioned within said adapter and.

having one end fixedly secured to said valve head, a flange depending from the other end of said valve stem and engageable with. a protuberance formed on the inner wall of said adapter for limiting the movement of said valve head away from seating engagement with said other end Of said adapter, said flange having its marginal edges notched to thereby provide openings for the passage of water therearound, and a cover mounted on the open end of said casing for movement into and out of closing engagement with respect to said open end, said cover being movable out of closing engagement upon execution of the up movement ro'f said piston.

JOHN J. PFEIFFER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent: I

UNITED l STATES PATENT Scherrer July, 2'7, Y.1948 

